AmaWaterways: Africa River Cruise / Land Tours

[vakamalua]

Has anyone ever experienced an AMA package to Africa that includes a river cruise on the Zambezi Queen and a land tour?  We are interested for 2023 and would love to hear anyone's experiences and which tour you did.  Thanks.

[jpalbny]

pretty sure @Host Jazzbeau has done this itinerary.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I did the AMA Discover Africa itinerary, which includes the Cape Town pre-cruise land tour and everything up to Victoria Falls, but then leaves you at the Johannesburg airport.  The other versions all include a further land tour.  Lots of details and pictures in my blog:

jazzbeauxafricansafari2018.wordpress.com

 

[vakamalua]

19 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I did the AMA Discover Africa itinerary, which includes the Cape Town pre-cruise land tour and everything up to Victoria Falls, but then leaves you at the Johannesburg airport.  The other versions all include a further land tour.  Lots of details and pictures in my blog:

jazzbeauxafricansafari2018.wordpress.com

 

Thanks.  Will enjoy reading your blog.

[tango223]

We did the AMA Stars of South Africa trip which also included the Zambezi Queen. We arrived a few days early but elected to stay in a different hotel (Victoria and Alfred Waterfront) for our 2 nights before we started the AMA package (Cape Grace) because it was more affordable.  We want to tour the wineries of Stellenbosch before the start of our AMA trip.

 

We loved the entire arrangements made by AMA.  The front end of the trip up through Victoria Falls stay combined many of the various AMA Africa options.  The group after that split into those going on the train or going to Arusha or as we did, we did the Safari at Kruger staying at Tintswalo which was very luxurious. We were traveling with 4 other couples, and we were the only group doing the Kruger option at Tintswalo which made it very personal.  

[BabySis]

We did the AMA GoldenTrails of Africa that included the Ngorongoro  Crater in Tanzania and the Serengeti,then added the RWANDA trip to see the gorillas. TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!

 
on the Chobe Our only transportation from the Queen was the sightseeing boat    We the same driver all five days and they are incredibly knowledgeable regarding every living thing in that area. We saw hundreds of elephants, tons of giraffe, cape buffalo galore,  crocodiles, warthogs, Impala’s were everywhere, and every bird you can imagine. Perhaps the highlight of our jeep tour was spotting a male and female lion couple showing us how they have a “happy time“.  Not far from them were two more female lions. As we were leaving the lion show, we spotted an entire pride of lions crossing the  savanna on the way to the  shade of the bush. Unbelievable… Never in my wildest dreams. 
 

I could write a book about how amazing EVERYTHING was, but I’ll just say. DO IT!!!

[marieps]

On 9/10/2022 at 7:02 PM, BabySis said:

We did the AMA GoldenTrails of Africa that included the Ngorongoro  Crater in Tanzania and the Serengeti,then added the RWANDA trip to see the gorillas. TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!

 
on the Chobe Our only transportation from the Queen was the sightseeing boat    We the same driver all five days and they are incredibly knowledgeable regarding every living thing in that area. We saw hundreds of elephants, tons of giraffe, cape buffalo galore,  crocodiles, warthogs, Impala’s were everywhere, and every bird you can imagine. Perhaps the highlight of our jeep tour was spotting a male and female lion couple showing us how they have a “happy time“.  Not far from them were two more female lions. As we were leaving the lion show, we spotted an entire pride of lions crossing the  savanna on the way to the  shade of the bush. Unbelievable… Never in my wildest dreams. 
 

I could write a book about how amazing EVERYTHING was, but I’ll just say. DO IT!!! 

This sounds fantastic.  We hear much about the ZQ just being a houseboat and not at all like a river cruise vessel.  Can you expound on that, and were insects ever an issue?  What time of year to you travel?  Thanks. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by marieps

[BabySis]

The ZQ It’s like no other river cruise ship or ocean cruise ship you have ever been on… It is totally unique and in a wonderful way.  This particular trip is not about the boat, it’s all about the wildlife.  Bugs were never an issue except in the Serengeti… And it was just flies… No mosquitoes or anything like that.  We were there in September.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I've never been on a houseboat, so I really don't know what the comparison is supposed to be.  ZQ has 14 spacious cabins, good food, an open bar [try the Amarula liqueur, which is even better than Bailey’s Irish Cream] – and wildlife everywhere!  The 'shore excursions' are mostly trips in the tenders to see the wildlife that comes to watering holes almost on schedule – followed at 5 pm by the driver opening the cooler and asking 'Anyone for a G&T?'  It was a terrific trip.

 

More details here:  jazzbeauxafricansafari2018.wordpress.com

[vada_9]

On 9/16/2022 at 4:02 AM, marieps said:

We hear much about the ZQ just being a houseboat and not at all like a river cruise vessel. 

I have not been on the Queen, but have stayed on one of the Princesses. My understanding is that there are 4-5 different mooring spots used by the company and the boats cruise between the different spots each day. From the various mooring spots you do your "river safari" from the small tender/runabout boats. So yes, it is like a large houseboat. The Princess had 4 cabins and we had our own private tender boat for the duration of our stay. These photos were taken June 2015.

Passing the Queen. The Princess moored.

[Canal archive]

We did a land trip, Mala-Mala many years ago the inventor of, sun downers, deserves a medal, with the twilight and the stars appearing absolutely magical.